Book Description

This book focuses on four authors active in both Constantinople and Bucharest from the late 17^th century to roughly the end of the 18^th century. It is probable that their paths intersected and ushered in an exchange of thoughts and books. The first is Varnavas from Cyprus who described a fire that broke out in Constantinople in 1696. Both Varnavas and his work would have remained unknown to the general public had they not been salvaged by Nikolaos Karatzas who copied them in one of his manuscripts. Dimitrios Ramadanis, author of a widely known work which was, however, attributed to another author, would have also remained unknown to the general public had not Nikolaos Karatzas copied his work. The fourth person is Konstantinos-Kaissarios Dapontes, who also appropriated Radamanis’ work. The book also accounts for the role of the intellectual Nikolaos Karatzas in the intersecting orbits and threads that tie together these four persons who lived and worked in the 18^th century.